Thanksgiving Service|| I have come to thank God|| Pastor Joe Tarkon || City of David Atlanta

Devotional

Day 1: God Hears Your Prayers in the Midst of Pain

When you pour out your heart to God from a place of deep anguish, He hears you. Your tears are not ignored, and your groans are not silent to Him. Even when the situation seems impossible and the pain is overwhelming, your prayers reach the throne of grace. God is attentive to the cries that come from a place of sincere need and desperation. You can have confidence that your petition has been heard. [16:31]

And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish. Then she made a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.” (1 Samuel 1:10-11, NKJV)

Reflection: What is the specific pain or burden you have been carrying that you need to pour out to God in honest, heartfelt prayer today?

Day 2: Confidence That God Has Answered Your Prayer

There is a profound assurance that comes when you pray according to God's will. You can move from a place of pleading to a place of peace, knowing that your request has been granted. This confidence is not based on feeling a change in your circumstances, but on the faithfulness of God's character and His promise. You can go in peace, your countenance no longer sad, because you trust that He has heard you. [18:55]

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. (1 John 5:14-15, NKJV)

Reflection: Where in your life is God inviting you to replace anxious pleading with confident peace, trusting that He has already heard and answered?

Day 3: Your Miracle is Already in Motion

God's timing is not our timing, and His work often begins long before we see any evidence. Your breakthrough may have been set in motion weeks, months, or even years ago. What has been labeled as a permanent condition in your life is already being transformed by God's power behind the scenes. You can live in the hope that your miracle is not just a future possibility, but a present reality in the spiritual realm. [24:42]

“Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.” (Luke 1:36, NKJV)

Reflection: What is a situation you have labeled as "impossible" that God might be asking you to view as "already in process" according to His timing?

Day 4: The Importance of Returning to Give Thanks

It is a profound act of worship to return to God with gratitude after He has moved on your behalf. Thanksgiving is the appropriate response to answered prayer, acknowledging that every good gift comes from Him. It is easy to receive a blessing and move on with life, but pausing to express thankfulness honors God and deepens your relationship with Him. Your gratitude is a testimony to His faithfulness. [30:12]

So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.” (Luke 17:17-19, NKJV)

Reflection: For which specific answered prayer or blessing from your past have you not yet fully stopped to return and give God intentional thanks?

Day 5: God Lifts You Up and Makes You Smile

God is the one who exalts the humble and lifts the needy from the dust. He specializes in turning stories of sorrow into testimonies of joy. The same situations that were once a source of pain and shame can become a reason to smile, as you see God's redemptive power at work. Your history does not have to dictate your destiny, for God is able to promote and elevate you according to His perfect plan. [37:03]

He raises the poor from the dust And lifts the beggar from the ash heap, To set them among princes And make them inherit the throne of glory. (1 Samuel 2:8, NKJV)

Reflection: Where do you need to trust God to not only meet your need but to lift you to a place where you can smile at the former struggle?

Sermon Summary

The service opens with vigorous praise, thanksgiving, and a prayerful call for God’s healing and presence. Worship overflows into pastoral announcements about upcoming events: a formal relaunch and Easter weekend with an international drama team, a global celebration for a beloved mentor’s funeral, and a new book release that reached Amazon’s bestseller list. Generosity and community support receive practical calls to action—special fundraising for the launch, encouragement to purchase and share the book, and invitations for new visitors to connect.

A biblical exposition centers on Hannah (Anna) from 1 Samuel, using her barrenness, provocation by Peninnah, and desperate prayer as the pivot for teaching on faith, endurance, and thanksgiving. Persistent, bitter prayer meets priestly affirmation; faith receives before feeling. The narrative pairs with Luke’s account of Elizabeth to show that God answers in hidden timing—miracles often occur before visible evidence—and that divine remembrance activates promises already set in motion.

Gratitude becomes a theological mandate: Hannah returns to the house of the Lord with her child and offers sacrifices, modeling that genuine worship includes tangible gratitude. The sermon stresses that giving and thanksgiving accompany answered prayer; tithing and offerings belong to God and mark recognition of God’s provision. The assembly receives a charge to cultivate a posture of return—bringing tokens of thanks and public testimony.

Triumph over reproach emerges as a running theme. The text affirms that God lifts the lowly, turns shame into promotion, and enables believers to “smile at enemies” and difficulties. Scriptural references to Psalm 60 and related texts underscore that human help often fails, but God alone secures lasting victory. The faithful receive exhortation to trust God rather than human strength and to believe that best days lie ahead.

The service closes with prayers wiping away tears, declarations of restored joy, child dedications, thanksgiving offerings, and an extended benediction. The community celebrates milestones—birthdays, anniversaries, and dedications—while departing under a charge to live expectant, thankful, and uplifted by God’s promises.

Key Takeaways

1. Prayer changes present reality Persistent, honest petition shifts spiritual atmosphere and activates God’s covenantal response before outward proof appears. Prayer does not merely request; it aligns the petitioner with divine motion, so that what God has ordained begins to move into manifestation even when senses lag. This reframes waiting: a person’s earnest prayer often becomes the moment God sets a promise in motion, not merely the request that follows it. [81:24]
2. Faith receives before feeling Belief grants possession of God’s promises ahead of physical evidence; assurance comes from trusting God’s revealed will rather than emotional confirmation. This discipline frees devotion from the tyranny of circumstance and anchors hope in God’s character and Word. Practically, it calls for worship and obedience in the interim between petition and fulfillment. [78:55]
3. Return to give God thanks Gratitude completes the cycle of petition and promise by publicly acknowledging God’s action and sustaining spiritual breakthrough. Returning with offerings and testimony consecrates the gift, trains memory toward God’s faithfulness, and invites continued blessing. Thankfulness also refines character, converting relief into worship that benefits both giver and community. [87:24]
4. God transforms reproach into promotion Divine reversal lifts the humiliated into honor and converts shame into inheritance when God acts on behalf of the humble. This transformation demands patient faith, moral steadiness, and refusal to answer provocation with bitterness. The result is exaltation that carries testimony—enabling the once-oppressed to smile at former oppressors and proclaim God’s supremacy. [95:14]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[61:01] - Opening Praise and Prayer
[65:17] - Healing Declaration and Greetings
[66:16] - Easter Launch & Drama Team Announcement
[67:42] - Mentor Funeral and Global Celebration
[69:31] - Book Release: Kingdom Wealth Code
[73:34] - Sermon Intro: Hannah’s Background
[81:24] - God Remembered Hannah: Prayer Answered
[86:23] - Offering, Tithing, and Thanksgiving
[95:14] - Promise of Promotion and Exaltation
[128:31] - Grace, Benediction, and Send‑off

Bible Study Guide

Based on the sermon summary and transcript provided, here is a Bible study discussion guide.

Bible Reading
1 Samuel 1:1-20, 24-28; 1 Samuel 2:1-10; Luke 1:36-38

Observation questions

According to 1 Samuel 1:10-11, what was the specific nature of Hannah's prayer and the vow she made to God?
What was Eli's initial reaction to Hannah's prayer, and how did that change after she explained herself (1 Samuel 1:12-17)?
In 1 Samuel 2:1-3, what are the specific things Hannah proclaims about God's character and actions in her song of praise?
How does the account of Elizabeth in Luke 1:36-38 illustrate the concept that a miracle can occur before there is any visible evidence? [01:23:19]

Interpretation questions

Hannah's prayer was described as coming from "the bitterness of her heart" (1 Samuel 1:10). Why do you think God honors such raw, emotional prayers rather than requiring composed and polished requests?
The sermon emphasized that "God remembered her" (1 Samuel 1:19) meant God activated a blessing already in motion rather than just recalling her request. What does this reveal about how God's timing works in relation to our prayers? [01:21:46]
Hannah brought significant offerings (1 Samuel 1:24) after God answered her prayer. Why is returning to give thanks with tangible offerings an important part of the cycle of prayer and receiving from God? [01:27:24]
In Hannah's song, she says "I smile at my enemies" (1 Samuel 2:1). Who were likely her "enemies," and what does this statement reveal about how God's intervention changes our perspective on past struggles? [01:31:24]

Application questions

Persistent, honest petition can shift spiritual atmospheres even before outward proof appears. What is something you've been praying about with such desperation that you might need to continue persisting in, trusting that God is already at work? [01:21:24]
Belief grants possession of God's promises ahead of physical evidence. What is one situation where you need to choose to believe God's promise rather than waiting for emotional confirmation or visible proof? [01:18:55]
Gratitude completes the cycle of petition and promise by publicly acknowledging God's action. Is there a recent answer to prayer or blessing you've received that you haven't properly thanked God for? How could you tangibly express that gratitude this week? [01:27:24]
Divine reversal lifts the humiliated into honor and converts shame into inheritance. Where in your life are you experiencing reproach or shame that you need to trust God can transform into a testimony of His power? [01:35:14]
The help of man is often useless, but through God we can do valiantly. What situation are you facing where you've been relying too much on human solutions rather than trusting in God's intervention? [01:33:11]
Returning with offerings and testimony consecrates the gift and trains our memory toward God's faithfulness. How could you develop a more consistent practice of recording and sharing testimonies of what God has done in your life?
God makes the poor rich and lifts up beggars to inherit thrones. What areas of lack or limitation in your life do you need to bring before God with fresh expectation for His promoting power? [01:34:34]

Sermon Clips

When you have entered the presence of God and you have prayed and you know, and I want you to know, the bible says in first John chapter five, he said this is the confidence we have in him. First John chapter five verse 23. He said this is the confidence we have in him that when we pray according to his will, we know that that which we have asked from the Lord has been given to us. [01:19:06] (24 seconds) #PrayerConfidence

Get this. The angel is telling Mary, people did not know because she was hiding herself. Mary did not know. He said, Elizabeth, your cousin has already conceived. And this is the sixth month. And he said, this is now the sixth month for the person who was called that condition that people have labeled you with. Is now a past tense. Do I have a witness here this morning? That condition that people has labeled you with, [01:23:19] (44 seconds) #MiracleAnnounced

The Lord has granted me my petition which I ask of him. Glory to God. I wanna give you two thoughts as I wrap up. You will hold the evidence of your prayer in your hands in the name of Jesus Christ. That which you have been praying for, That request that you have been laboring before God. You've been crying out to God. The Bible says in Isaiah 53, it says, you shall see the fruit of the travail of your soul. And you shall be satisfied. [01:28:33] (40 seconds) #HoldYourMiracle

She came to thank God. She came to show gratitude to God. You you may say, is that important? Yes. It is important. If you go to Luke chapter 17, Jesus healed seven lepers or 10 lepers. One returned to thank him, and Jesus paused to ask the question deliberately and pointedly. Were they not 10 who were healed? Were they not 10? Where is the other one? You cried and groaned and passed an exam. Did you return to say, father, I thank you. [01:29:51] (39 seconds) #ReturnToGiveThanks

Don't be arrogant against me or don't just keep just keep you know, talk to yourself. How do children say it? They will say talk to my hand, isn't it? Talk to my hand. Because I have a God who will raise me up. I have a God who will make me smile at my enemies. Let's put it this way. I have a God who will make me smile at my problems. I have a God who will make me smile at my closed doors. I have a God who made me smile at my difficulties. I have a God who made me smile at my impossibilities. God will raise you up in the name of Jesus. [01:36:11] (45 seconds) #GodWillRaiseMe

Put your hand on your chest and say, God does not demote. He will not demote me. Will make me to rise up. Will promote me. Will elevate me. Best days are ahead of me. Glorious moments ahead of me. My best times are coming. Great opportunities before me. God almighty has raised me up. Glory to God. Give God praise this morning. Hallelujah. Give God praise. [01:36:57] (33 seconds) #GodPromotesYou

And that's part of why I got a little bit emotional this morning because when I went to visit reverend Omar's house, the daughter was telling me, she said that there was a woman who came to him and asked him to pray for her. That she needed to she was believing God for for children. She wanted children. And reverend Maher looked at her and said, you're already pregnant, but you don't know it. The moment Anna prayed, God heard her prayers. When the man of God affirmed it verbally, God confirmed it. Amen. [01:20:48] (36 seconds) #WordConfirmedMiracle

If you knew, you you know there's this this thing that goes around, they give somebody a piece of paper that if god if they told you that your miracle had been given to you, how would you dance? Have you received it before? And you see people smile, and they start dancing in church. My friend, when you prayed, god heard you. The bible said that Elizabeth worshiped not because she felt the pregnancy, but because she believed God. [01:25:20] (24 seconds) #BelieveBeforeFeeling

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Thanksgiving Service|| I have come to thank God|| Pastor Joe Tarkon || City of David Atlanta

Devotional

Day 1: God Hears Your Prayers in the Midst of Pain

Day 2: Confidence That God Has Answered Your Prayer

Day 3: Your Miracle is Already in Motion

Day 4: The Importance of Returning to Give Thanks

Day 5: God Lifts You Up and Makes You Smile

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

Thanksgiving Service|| I have come to thank God|| Pastor Joe Tarkon || City of David Atlanta

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